H.L Craig Hovendove – driving force behind the Learn Earn Access and Play (LEAP) Project – is on a mission to create a safe Internet environment for kids  throughout  Thailand,  thereby  protecting  the welfare and lives of countless thousands of children. Having  developed  and  created  over  600  animated characters including the Smart Team, Phat City and the Kewlworld cast of characters and having published over 50 graphic novels and comic-books  for children and  teenagers Craig understands well the potential benefts and dangers that today’s  Internet has upon our young. Karin Lohitnavy talks to Craig about the launch of his latest kid safe Internet program and future projects

Craig what made you decide to come to Thailand?
Craig When I was in America I had worked extensively within the Thai community in California and had many Thai friends and employees. They would all tell me what a wonderful country Thailand was and that I just had to visit it while I was in Asia on my next trip. I had been to Korea and other parts of Asia several times but I had never been to Thailand. In 2000 I decided to find out for myself if all of the wonderful things that I had heard about Thailand were true, so I decided to go and find out for myself. Little did I realize that a two week visit would turn into a nine year adventure! Many of the wonderful things that I had heard about Thailand have proven to be true.

However, the one factor that weighed most heavily in my decision to stay was the sudden realization that due to the fact the Internet was just starting to take hold in Thailand, from my experience in America, I just knew that soon there would be millions of kids jumping online for the first time. These kids would be exposed to and unprepared to face and deal with the many dangers that were just starting to become apparent in America. I wasn’t able to be at the forefront of protecting kids online in America; but I was deter­mined not to miss the opportunity to accomplish it in Thailand.

Could you explain the L.E.A.P. project and why you decided to launch this programme in Thailand and not in the US?

Craig L.E.A.P. is a duo acronym for Learn Earn Access and Play and Learn English and Prosper. It’s as simple as the name suggest…our youthful stu­dent members first Learn from our “Real-World” fun multimedia based e- Learning modules which earns them the required points and validation status necessary to navigate throughout our system. Each member’s current status must be re-validated every week by taking a minimum of one learning module. By taking one weekly module, members earn cyber- cash, prizes, real cash, points and other online and offline rewards and then, and only then, are they permitted access to the reward areas; the ‘Yozone’! In the ‘Yo­zone’ they are able to get access to exclusive content, special tutoring, access to Subject Matter Experts and Celebrities, rewards and many activities they love but in most cases must currently pay for.

In addition to our L.E.A.P. System – L.E.A.P. Global, Inc., UltraBrowser.com, Inc. of America and Pasanusornbangkae School of Thailand, have formed a partnership to develop and now offer a complete online and offline safety system for children, youth and teens that includes a unique and custom­ized web browser, safe content such as comic-books-animated e-learning modules and other safe and appropriate content, a kids safe Internet service, a safe PC, safe Internet café’ and a comprehensive educational training and awareness program. All of this is inside of a safe environment called the YOZone.

Just like the O-Zone protects the earth’s atmosphere from harmful and dead­ly radiation, the L.E.A.P. Global YO-Zone protects the minds and bodies of our youthful members from offline and online predators and other negative online dangers in cyber-space as well as offline from the dangers of drugs and illiteracy and other negative and harmful societal ills. Introducing The YOZone, the safest-smartest place in or out of cyber-space for ALL YOuth! The YO in YOZone stands for Youth Ok and it is the safest, smartest and most enjoyable solution for youth of all ages around the world, providing a safe interactive age-appropriate environment where the content is educa­tional, entertaining and fun.

I decided to start the L.E.A.P. program here in Thailand because just as I had stated ear­lier, several years ago I knew that one day soon there would be millions of innocent and vulnerable kids that would be connect­ing online for the first time and be exposed to and unprepared to face and deal with the many dangers that are now common-place both online and offline. I wasn’t able to be at the forefront of protecting kids online in America, but I am in a position to do it here in Thailand and we are now in a position to succeed in our mission!

At what age can a child start using this sys­tem and are some schools already using the LEAP programme with their pupils?
Craig The L.E.A.P. program is divided into three age categories 5-9, 10-13 and 14-18. Several schools are currently using our sys­tem and although we are still in our Beta 1.0 stage we have in excess of 100,000 of our kid’s safe environments currently in use world-wide. We will release version 2.0 of our safe system in the first quarter of 2009 and conservatively expect to have a million members by the end the year.

Don’t you think this is the perfect birthday gift for our readers’ children?
Craig Yes, without a doubt, what greater gift could a parent, relative or some­one who cares about safety and welfare give to a child better than a gift that may one day save their life -or at a minimum protect them and prevent them from a potential danger that could be lurking just right around the corner or with their next key stroke on a computer!
In America alone over 2,100 children are reported missing each and every day from normal families that love them dearly, and just because this terrible problem isn’t publicized here in Thailand as it is in America; I can guarantee you that it is just as serious a problem here as it is throughout all of Southeast Asia. For a few dollars a child we feel that we have a solution that will dra­matically reduce these numbers, but we cannot do it alone! Protecting our children from online and offline dangers will take a community effort. For more information on how your readers can help us in our mission to protect the children of the world they can hop over to www.leapingsmart.com, this is where the learning starts and this is where the danger can end!

Could you give our readers a few tips on what they can do to make the Inter­net a safer place for their children?
Craig The main thing that your readers can remember is the 3 C’s of L.E.A.P. Safety, Caution, Communication and Common Sense. Get involved, talk to your kids about sexual predators and potential online dangers. Young children shouldn’t use chat rooms, period -the dangers are too great. As children get older, direct them towards well-monitored kids’ chat rooms. Even your teens should be encouraged to use monitored chat rooms. If your children take part in chat rooms, make sure you know which ones they visit and with whom they talk. Monitor the chat areas yourself to see what kind of conversations take place. Instruct your children to never leave the chat room’s public area. Chat rooms offer users one-on-one chats with other us­ers – so chat monitors and other users can’t read these conversations.

Keep the Internet-connected computer in a common area of the house, nev­er in a child’s bedroom. It is much more difficult for a predator to establish a relationship with your child if the computer screen is easily visible. When your children are young, they should share the family e-mail address rather than have their own e-mail accounts. As they get older, you can ask your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to set up a separate e-mail address, but your children’s mail can still reside in your account. Tell your children to never respond to instant messaging or e-mails from strangers. For places outside your supervision – public library, school, or friends’ homes – find out what computer safeguards are used.

On a final note could you tell us about new projects you are working on and share your future dreams and ambitions with us?
Craig We are working on many exciting things right now, but during the first quarter of 09, we will release our Celebrity Reading Club, which will feature high profile Celebrities from both Thailand and America and will be avail­able for our members both online through our website www.leapingsmart. com and also offline at schools, malls, bookstores and other appropriate lo­cations. We will also release a series of safe Internet Café’s called the YOZone around Thailand as well as a series of L.E.A.P. Learning and Career Centers. During the first quarter of 2009 we will also release the world’s first true ISP or Internet for Kids in Asia.

Last but certainly not least, in partnership with Pasanusornbangkae School and Khun Chanarong, we will release the first fully accredited online K-12 curriculum in Thailand, this content is from OdysseyWare from America. So as you can see, we will be busy in 2009.